Informal settlement residents march to municipal offices in Secunda for land
They want Govan Mbeki Municipality to buy the land they had occupied, write to Eskom to stop it from disconnecting their electricity and provide essential services beyond election periods.
Residents from the Leandra informal settlements in Wards 1, 2, 3, and 6 marched to the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) in Secunda, demanding formalisation of their settlements and improved service delivery on March 12.
In their memorandum, the residents urged the GMM to negotiate with landowners to buy the land they had occupied, write to Eskom to stop it from disconnecting their electricity and provide essential services beyond election periods.
This is the second memorandum they have submitted in less than a month. However, they claim that the GMM’s previous response favoured the institution only, not the residents.
The protestors gave the municipality seven days to respond. They will escalate the matter to the Mpumalanga provincial government if their demands are unmet within that timeframe.
Thandi Ngxonono, the MMC for Planning and Economic Development, received the memorandum and explained that the municipality needed more time.
“The issue of human settlements does not involve the municipality alone but other stakeholders, like Eskom, for electricity supply. I am here to take your memorandum on behalf of the mayor, but your demands require time,” Ngxonono told the marchers.
She asked for an additional seven days, extending the response time to 14 days, but this did not sit well with the marchers, who demanded the municipality immediately write a letter to Eskom, preventing further electricity disconnections.
Ngxonono refused, saying she must first present the memorandum to the mayor, but assured they would try to provide feedback within seven days.
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The MEC for Human Settlements, Speedy Mashilo, visited Leandra in 2022 after similar protests over land issues. He said his department had secured an agreement to buy Portion 37 (Marikana) for R64m, covering 790ha. However, the development of the land is still pending.
Mashilo also addressed another 1 701ha property owned by a private family, who insisted the department buy the land and appoint them as developers. However, Mashilo refused, calling it a “robbery game”.
“If they want an agreement with the department, they must develop the land first. We will only buy fully developed sites with water, sanitation and road infrastructure,” Mashilo stated.
Additionally, Mashilo highlighted the ongoing litigation between a mining company and the owner of Ext 24 in Leandra, further delaying land allocation. Leandra residents remain firm on their seven-day deadline and threaten to escalate the issue if the GMM ignores their demands. The municipality, however, insists it needs more time to effectively address their concerns.
